Parallel Verses

Darby Translation

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

New American Standard Bible

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

King James Version

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Holman Bible

When there is a man whose work was done with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great wrong.

International Standard Version

For sometimes people who strive to obtain wisdom, knowledge, and equity leave everything as an inheritance to a person who never worked for it. This, too, is pointless and greatly troublesome.

A Conservative Version

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skillfulness, yet he shall leave it to a man who has not labored in it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

American Standard Version

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Amplified

For there is a man who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, yet gives his legacy to one who has not labored for it. This too is vanity and a great evil.

Bible in Basic English

Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

Julia Smith Translation

For there is man his labor in wisdom, and in knowledge and in success; and to man not laboring in it he shall give his portion. Also this is vanity and much evil.

King James 2000

For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that has not labored in it shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Lexham Expanded Bible

For although a person may toil with great wisdom and skill, he must leave his reward to someone who has not toiled for it. This also [is] vanity and a great calamity.

Modern King James verseion

When there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and with success; yet to a man who has not labored in it, he shall leave it for his share. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

Forsomuch as a man should weary himself with wisdom, with understanding and opportunity, and yet be fain to leave his labours unto another, that never sweat for them. This is also a vain thing and a great misery.

NET Bible

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

New Heart English Bible

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

The Emphasized Bible

For here is a man, whose toil hath been with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, - yet, to a man who hath not toiled therein, shall he leave it as his portion, even this, was vanity and a great vexation.

Webster

For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not labored in it, shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

World English Bible

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Youngs Literal Translation

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it -- his portion! Even this is vanity and a great evil.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
For there is
ישׁ 
Yesh 
is, be, have, there,
Usage: 135

a man
אדם 
'adam 
Usage: 541

is in wisdom
חכמה 
Chokmah 
Usage: 149

and in knowledge
דּעת 
Da`ath 
Usage: 91

and in equity
כּשׁרון 
Kishrown 
Usage: 3

yet to a man
אדם 
'adam 
Usage: 541

עמל 
`amal 
Usage: 11

נתן 
Nathan 
Usage: 2011

חלק 
Cheleq 
Usage: 67

הבל הבל 
hebel 
Usage: 73

and a great
רב 
Rab 
Usage: 458

Verse Info

Context Readings

Is There Real Happiness In Life?

20 Then I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour wherewith I had laboured under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 For what will man have of all his labour and of the striving of his heart, wherewith he hath wearied himself under the sun?



Cross References

Ecclesiastes 2:17-18

And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

2 Chronicles 31:20-21

And thus did Hezekiah throughout Judah, and wrought what was good and right and true before Jehovah his God.

2 Chronicles 33:2-9

And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, like the abominations of the nations that Jehovah had dispossessed from before the children of Israel.

2 Chronicles 34:2

And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand nor to the left.

2 Chronicles 35:18

And there was no passover like to that holden in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel hold such a passover as Josiah held, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 36:5-10

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of Jehovah his God.

Ecclesiastes 9:18

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Jeremiah 22:15

Shalt thou reign, because thou viest with the cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? Then it was well with him.

Jeremiah 22:17

But thine eyes and thy heart are only on thine extortion, and on the blood of the innocent, to shed it, and on oppression and on violence, to do it.

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain